NBA Scouting Reports, Atlantic Division (Part One)

Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the first team in Atlantic Division, the Boston Celtics.

As a reminder, we are not currently profiling rookies or sophomores, but you should be able to find in-depth scouting reports on every player of note by following the links on their profiles or using our search engine above.

Overview: Incredibly experienced and accomplished player with one of the most complete resumes in the NBA. One of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history. A 8-time NBA All-Star. Outstanding scorer who changes the game with his perimeter shooting ability. A deadly weapon coming off screens and spotting up with his feet set. More than just a spot-up shooter, very much capable of creating his own shot and finding other ways to score. Also an excellent teammate who understands the game and is willing to make players around him better. Possesses a terrific basketball IQ. Considered one of the good guys of the sport. Getting older, but still highly effective. Had an outstanding career at UConn, winning Big East Player of the Year honors in his junior season. Won a Gold medal with Team USA in 2000 and an NBA Championship in 2008. Gained notoriety for playing Jesus Shuttleworth in Spike Lees He Got Game.

Offense: The 2nd leading 3-point shooter in NBA history, behind Reggie Miller. Possesses one of the prettiest strokes in the entire league, complete with effortless mechanics, beautiful follow-through, deep range, and outstanding touch. Excellent shooter from a stand-still, but also very much capable of knocking down contested shots with a hand in his faceactually excels doing so. Outstanding moving off the ball and using screens. Smooth player who can handle the ball equally well with either hand. Uses the threat of his shot extremely well to create shots for himself inside the arc. Not just a 3-point shooter. Takes what defenses give him. Can drive to the rim left or right, but tends to pull-up when driving left. Has an outstanding mid-range game. Excellent at pulling up off the dribble. Not a great finisher due to average strength, but gets to free throw line at a solid rate thanks to his craftiness and aggressiveness, and knocks down his shots at a 90%+ clip. Very good passer, not selfish in the least bit. Extremely efficient. Very mistake-free. Just an average athlete in terms of his first step and overall explosiveness, making him best suited as a second or third option.

Defense: Puts in the effort, and understands how to maximize himself, but possesses average lateral quickness, which limits his effectiveness. Relies too much on his hands as he is losing his ability to contain his man off the dribble. Savvy enough to get by at this point in his career, and does have a few tricks up his sleeve he can go to. A solid rebounder for his position.

Tony Allen:

Overview: Role player who has established himself as a solid backup. Gets by mostly on his instincts and physical tools, rather than on a polished skill-set. Mostly a defensive oriented shooting guard who can contain either guard position. Extremely athletic and brings great toughness and energy to the floor. Has a role off the bench, but must harness his skill-set and learn to consistently play within himself. Slightly undersized at 6-4, but makes up for it with his 6-9 wingspan. Ranked as the 3rd best athlete in the 2004 draft. Has had some off-court distractions early on in his career.

Offense: A superb athlete with outstanding explosiveness getting off his feet. Extremely quick and strong. Not a great ball-handler, cannot be expected to create his own shot on a consistent basisalthough he certainly wants to. Fairly turnover prone. Can get to the basket, though, thanks to his excellent first step and very aggressive mentalitywhich leads to a good amount of free throw attempts. Often out of control once there, making him just an average finisher. A poor outside shooter due to his extremely awkward shooting mechanics. Cocks the ball and releases it from his right shoulder. Can hit a shot from time to time, particularly when in rhythm, but is not the type of threat you want taking shots from behind the 3-point line. Not much of a passerbasketball IQ is limited. Causes his fair share of unforced errors and does not always play within himself. Tough as nails. Excellent offensive rebounder for size. Has huge hands and sticks his nose in all kinds of places. Has a decent pull-up jumper from 16-17 feet.

Defense: The best man to man defender on Bostons roster. Combination of length, strength and tenacity makes him outstanding in this area. Has excellent lateral quickness. Can defend either guard position, and even some small forwards. Fantastic instincts getting in passing lanes. Will come up with his fair share of steals and go coast to coast. A little bit foul prone due to the aggressiveness he plays with.

Sam Cassell:

Overview:A veteran point guard who can still make an impact on occasion due to the unique offensive skills he possesses. Never had ideal athleticism, but is clearly past his prime now from an athletic standpoint. Has pretty good height for a point guard. Can't play as many minutes as he used to. Simply knows how to play the game. Reads defenders as well as anyone in the League. Makes a killing from the midrange. Draws fouls from the outside at an impressive rate. Knows how to set up his teammates as well. Wont bring a lot of effort to the defensive end, but plays with a lot of savvy. Has been a good scorer since his days at San Jacinto Junior College and Florida State. Came into his own as a player when the Rockets won back to back NBA Championships in 1994 and 1995. One time All-Star. Known for his mouth as well as his game. As vocal as any player in the League. A respectable leader. Played that role for the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics. Willingly mentors younger players. A great locker room presence. Will have a spot on a roster until his body can't keep up with the NBA game. Gradually getting to that point.

Offense:In his prime, was arguably the best midrange jump shooter in the League. Gets about a quarter of his offensive opportunities running the pick and roll with another fifth coming from fast breaks and one-on-one opportunities. Great jump shot. Displays tremendous footwork and shoots the same shot each time. Wont do a whole lot of damage at the rim. Not quick enough to get there anymore. Doesnt have to since he can nail shots off the dribble. Actually better as a jump shooter than a finisher. Likes to dribble left before he shoots. Great at using fakes to get his man off the ground. Will draw fouls shooting jumpers at an impressive rate. One of the best foul shooters around. Very savvy ball handler. Doesnt turn the ball over very often for a point guard. Knows how to run an offense. Experience, talent, and offensive mentality make him one of the games most effective cerebral players. Incredible complimentary scorer.

Defense:A very average defensive player physically, but manages to be effective due to his personality and experience. Can really get into his mans head with his constant chatter. Will use all kinds of little tricks to get his man out of rhythm. Isnt quick enough to keep up with most point guards, but knows exactly how much space he needs to recover. Maximizes the quickness he still has in that way. Used to create quite a few turnovers, still gets his hand on the ball from time to time. Will give a smart foul when he can. Not afraid to try and muscle his man when he drives to save a basket. Not a great defender, but one of the most intelligent the game has to offer.

Kevin Garnett:

Overview: An agile and extremely aggressive 7-footer with excellent athleticism Incredibly fluid and coordinated for a player his size, able to run the floor and play like a guard at times, but still defend and rebound like a 7-footer. An 11-time allstar. For years now considered one of the best players in the NBA. A sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer. Revolutionized the NBA Draft by starting the trend of entering straight out of high school in 1996, and then revolutionized the way people think about the power forward position with the way he played the high post. One of the most unique players of this generation, always applauded for his versatility, intensity, durability, attitude and commitment to team play. Has been criticized at times for being too unselfish. Finally got the NBA Championship ring he coveted in 2008.

Offense: A prototypical modern day power forward. Able to create his own shot with ease from the high post with great jab-steps and nifty ball-handling skills, and even handle the ball and ignite the offense in the open floor. Has an outstanding pull-up jumper, but tends to settle for it at times, particularly when driving left. Terrific touch on his mid-range jumper, complete with a high release point that makes it impossible to block. Has streaky range all the way out the NBA 3-point line. Also a terrific presence in the post. Has an outstanding right-handed jump-hook shot. Slithers his shot off thanks to quickness and terrific feel. Too quick, tall and fluid for most power forwards to handle. Very explosive off feet. One of the best finishers in the NBA. A fantastic passer as wellmakes lightning quick decisions with ball in hands and has terrific court vision while seeing the entire floor. Particularly notable for his post-entry passing. Basketball IQ is generally extremely high.

Defense: Arguably the best defensive big man in the NBA. Possesses amazing physical tools to get the job done, and combines that with unrivaled intensity. Size and length gives him an incredible advantage contesting shots inside the post and on the perimeter, and agility and quickness allow him to maneuver around the floor with ease. Hedges screens and recovers effectively thanks to his excellent footwork. Takes an incredible amount of pride in shutting his matchup down, and is a huge presence as a team defender as well. Infectious energy makes it impossible for teammates not to compete just as hard alongside him. Sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him.

Overview: A hired gun. House is at 6-1 a severely undersized shooting guard with very limited ability besides his phenomenal ability to put the ball in the net from the perimeter, although hes begin to develop his point guard skills as a Celtic. Regardless, he continues to get a job every summer, and has been a solid rotation player for every year of his career so far since being drafted in 2000. He can come off the bench and change the flow of a game with his shooting, and is a mistake free player who does whats asked of him. Hes a player that needs to be in the right situation to succeed, and thats exactly what hes been put him in consistently over the course of his career. Was a key component offensively on the Celtics 2008 Championship team.

Offense: Almost strictly a jump-shooter, getting 91% of his shots in this manner. Hes one of the best overall 3-point shooters in the entire league, though, both in quantity of makes per-minute and accuracy. He moves off the ball well, has an incredibly quick release, and absolutely no conscious hoisting up his beautiful rainbow arcing shotwhich helps him compensate to a certain extent for his lack of size. In the rare case that House puts the ball on the floor for a dribble drive, hes very likely going left, and will then pull-up off the dribble 90% of the time. House was mostly a shooting guard in New Jersey alongside Jason Kidd (who is big enough to defend shooting guards), but in Boston he sees a lot of time at the point, and does not do a bad job in this backup role. He keeps his turnovers to a minimum and is smart enough to execute his teams set-offense fairly effectively, even if his shoot-first mentality is always pretty evident. He wants the ball in his hands all the time and will visibly call for it every moment hes on the floor. House is a catch and shoot player, and if the defense takes that away from him, then there isnt a whole lot he can do otherwise to make his presence felt in the half-court. He almost never gets to the rim, and is barely at the free throw line (just 317 times in 523 career games). He is very effective at what he does well, though, and can single-handedly bring a team back from a large deficit with his streaky shot.

Defense: House is severely undersized for his position, having measured out at 6-0 ½ with a 6-3 ½ wingspan at the Chicago pre-draft camp in 2000. He gives up a good six inches at the shooting guard position, and therefore sees most of his time guarding point guards, even if his offensive skill-set doesnt always quite match that. Possessing just average lateral quickness, he will get beat from time to time off the dribble, and he lacks the size or length to contest shots on the perimeter. He puts a very solid effort on this end of the floor, though, which is why he consistently sees minutes under defensive-minded coaches like Doc Rivers and Lawrence Frank.

Overview: High school player who was drafted in the first round and has developed into a capable NBA big man. A role player whos main responsibilities on-court lies in his ability to defend and rebound. Has a good attitude, but is fairly limited athletically and skill-wise, making him look best suited to come off the bench for most NBA teams that dont have three Hall of Famers alongside him. He reportedly is known for his excellent work ethic and attitude in the lockerroom, and has already been locked up to an extension that accurately represents his value on the open market. Being just 24 years old, there is still the upside that Perkins will improve on his offensive shortcomings. He brings great energy and seems to fit the new Boston Celtics mentality perfectly. Did exactly what he had to do to help the team with the 2008 NBA Championship.

Offense: Perkins will always be a complimentary player on this end of the floor due to his lackluster combination of skills, fluidity and quickness. Hes a fairly mechanical big man with a limited array of moves in the post he can utilize, and is therefore mostly a threat to crash the offensive glass thanks to his strength and toughness and come up with strong finishes around the paint on shots created for him by others. Perkins sets solid screens and has pretty good hands inside, and is a very good finisher when given the ball in a position to score. He gets to the line at a decent rate considering the limited amount of touches he sees, but only converts only around 60% of his free throws. He has almost no range to speak of on his very unattractive looking jumper, and is a liability when attempting to put the ball on the floor and make a complex move. He does understand his role with Bostons offense and does not have a problem playing with a team concept. With that said, Perkins needs to work on cutting down on unforced errors, such as turnovers from bad passes, traveling violations, offensive fouls and such. He turns the ball over on about 1/3rd of his offensive possessions, which is one of the worst rates in the NBA.

Defense: Perkins has average height for an NBA center at 6-10, but more than makes up for that with a monster 7-4 wingspan and a chiseled 280 pound frame. All things considered, Perkins might be considered one of the best interior defenders in the NBA. He denies space in the post extremely well, has excellent footwork, and is very hard to back down because of his strength and tenacity. He also uses his length extremely well, often forcing his matchup to alter their shot awkwardly because of his reach. Hes an excellent shot-blocker as well, either coming from the weak-side or showing really nice timing with on-ball blocks, compensating for his average explosiveness. When forced out to the perimeter, though, Perkins lack of lateral quickness can get exposed if asked to guard an athletic big man who put the ball on the floor. Perkins is a decent, but not amazing rebounder for his position. He can also be a bit foul prone at times.

Paul Pierce:

Overview: A 6-time All-Star and one of the most difficult swingmen to guard in the NBA. 6-6 and really more of a small forward, Pierce is an electric scorer who can put the ball in the net in a variety of different ways thanks to his very complete offensive game. Extremely clutch and seemingly continually adding new things to his game year by year, Pierce is generally considered one of the toughest and most consistent players aroundand a real asset to any lockerroom due to his warriors mentality and outstanding work ethic. Had the most efficient season of his career in 07-08, showing no problem taking fewer shots and passing the ball more than he ever had in his career, as well as displaying the ability to play outstanding defense when needed. The efficiency and increased effort level was one of the main reasons Boston won the NBA Championship.

Offense: If there is one thing you can say about Paul Pierce, its that hes anything but a predictable player on the offensive end. He has as complete a game as youll find from an NBA swingman, being highly effective shooting the ball, slashing to the basket, posting up inside, getting to the free throw, and utilizing his outstanding mid-range game to do everything else in between. Paul has great strength to compliment his outstanding ball-handling skills and footwork. He creates his own shot beautifully from the perimeter, and loves to exploit a crafty step-back pull-up jumper that has become his signature move. He does not have a great first step, nor is he all that explosive around the rim, but he more than makes up for that with his excellent combination of smarts, instincts, touch, and skillallowing him to often just throw the ball into the hoop in tough situations when all else fails. Hes a terrific shooter who has consistently improved his 3-point range to the point that he simply needs to be guarded closely at all times a testament to the hard work hes put in in the gym. He also is a very dangerous post-up threat, using his lower body extremely well to establish deep position in the paint and dig his way towards the basket, showing great footwork pivoting around the paint and the veteran savvy to draw fouls at an extremely high rate. Pierce is extremely aggressive slashing to the rim as well, usually being amongst the league leaders in free throw attempts per game year in and year out. He slashes into the paint with reckless abandon and excellent body control and finishes extremely well at the basket. He seems to have a knack for initiating contact and getting to the line. Pierces main downfall lies in the fact that his athleticism isnt always quite enough to get him a good shot any time he wanted on a bad team that relied too heavily on him, causing him to display questionable shot-selection and settle for awkward fade-aways with a very high degree of difficulty.

Defense: Pierce is tough, smart, strong and experiencedqualities which come in handy when attempting to guard the perimeter in the NBA. But hes also a bit-heavy footed, causing him to look very slow on the perimeter at times in terms of his lateral quickness. Pierce is generally hit or miss in regards to his defenseit all depends how much effort he puts in on any given night. Prior to the championship season, he would often give players excessive space to work with and not fight through screens the way youd hope, causing him to get exploited by the younger guards he was matched up with. After the Garnett trade, he racketed up the intensity a couple of notches and became much more effective.

Leon Powe:

Overview:One of the most productive backups in the league. Puts up outrageous per-minute numbers behind Kevin Garnett, scoring efficiently, rebounding the ball incredibly well, and playing excellent defense. Undersized power forward who is able to compensate for his severe lack of size with an incredible wingspan and a pair of huge, soft hands. Average athlete who lacks some explosiveness around the basket and tends to lumber a bit getting up and down the floor. Incredibly tough, strong player who comes off the bench looking to make his presence felt. Goes inside and pushes bigger players around, not backing down from anyone. Has most of his scoring opportunities created by others, but does a great job of making the most of his opportunities. Spent three injury plagued seasons at Cal, being forced to sit out for a year due to a torn ACL, which eventually dropped his draft stock dramatically. Went through a significant amount of adversity in his lifetime, which undoubtedly helped shape the player he is today. Has developed into a real asset for Boston, despite being an after-thought in the second round on draft day. Was a key cog on the 2008 NBA Championship team.

Offense: Gets most of his offense cutting to the basket, grabbing offensive rebounds and rolling off screens. Presents himself around the rim intelligently, and has great hands to make tough catches easy. A terrific finisher around the basket thanks to his length, strength and toughness. Gets to the free throw line at a terrific rate, and converts at an average percentage (71% in 07-08). Decent back to the basket threat, but relies too heavily on lowering his shoulder and bullying his way into the post, rather than utilizing finesse moves, which makes him a bit turnover prone. Possesses a streaky jumper with range out to about 17-feet. Still needs to improve the consistency of his mid-range shot to reach his full potential. Struggles putting the ball on the floor. Exceptionally poor passer who sees nothing but the rim once he touches the ball. Terrific offensive rebounder who will not hesitate for a second to put his nose into a scrum and help his team come up with a big possession. Needs to become a bit more versatile and develop his perimeter skills.

Defense: Intense, versatile defender who brings a great deal of energy off the bench. Possesses great length and does an excellent job contesting shots. Flies around the floor with great footwork and lateral quickness. Does a terrific job hedging screens and quickly recovering back onto his matchup. Strength, toughness and wingspan help compensate for his lack of size inside the post. Gets down in a fundamental stance and puts a lot of pride into locking down his man. Takes charges, hustles for loose balls, and does a lot of little things. Very foul prone, which limits his minutes to a certain extent. Has good timing as a weak-side shot-blocker.

Scot Pollard:

Scot Pollard]Overview: Best known for his goofy hairstyles and always entertaining media quotes, Scot Pollard managed to survive in the NBA for 10 seasons, but appears to have finally succumbed to the long line of injuries (especially back problems) that plagued his career. He somehow managed to land a 30 million dollar contract from the Sacramento Kings along the way. His strengths lie mostly in his size6-11 and 265 pounds, but also in his willingness to use it to his advantage. "I'm not a pretty player," he said. "I go in there and do the dirty work. I dive on the floor. I take charges. I set screens. I do a lot of things guys don't like doing. I found my niche and I'm sticking with it." Was a nice presence on the bench during the 2008 Championship run.

Offense: Pollard is strictly a complimentary player on this end of the floor, but thats one of the reasons hes been able to make a living for so long. He has no ball-handling skills and limited post moves around the basket, but is capable of finishing basic plays in the paint with either hand and solid touch, even if he lacks the explosiveness around the basket to be a great finisher. He can step out and knock down an ugly looking flat-footed set shot semi consistently with range out to 17 feet, and can even execute a basic pick and pop play if needed to keep the defense on their toes. For the most part, though, hes just another cog in his teams offensesetting solid screens, moving off the ball, and being particularly active on the offensive glass, where he shows very good timing for loose balls. He doesnt make mistakes and executes fairly well within the team concept, a testament to his solid attitude and basketball IQ.

Defense: Pollard is a tough and aggressive player who isnt afraid to stick his nose in to a dangerous spot make a big play. He is fairly strong, with a solid frame and good size, and thus does not give up position easily in the post to anyone, always fighting and not being afraid to even throw an elbow or two around if the situation calls for it. Hes a pesky guy more than anything, knowing how to flop and bait refs into making a call, and bringing constant energy to the task of stopping players in the post. His lateral quickness is limited when forced to step and guard the perimeter, and he does not have the leaping ability to establish himself as a shot-blocking threat. He is a good rebounder, though, mostly because of his hands, timing and tenacity.

James Posey

Overview: Efficient player who understands his role and sticks to it. Has excellent size and strength for the small forward position. Plays unselfishly, limits mistakes, and generally does whats asked of him. A very good defender who is a terrific perimeter shooter, particularly in the clutch. Has the added versatility of being able to operate as an undersized PF in small-ball lineups. Was one of the heroes of the 2008 NBA Playoffs and Finals making big play after play for Boston when he was most needed, which in turn earned him a big contract with New Orleans the following summer.

Offense: Posey gets the overwhelming majority of his shots by simply hanging out behind the 3-point line and waiting to receive the ball for a spot-up jumper. Hes mastered the art of knocking down the open 3-pointer, and has thus become a reliable, although very one-dimensional, offensive player. When forced to shoot with opposition or off the dribble, his percentages drop considerably, to the point that hes no longer effective. If he does put the ball on the floor, hes generally going all the way to the basket, as he has very little ability to pull-up from mid-range. He is an average ball-handler with his right hand and incredibly limited with his left, while not being a great finisher once in the lane either as hes not a great athlete. Posey knows all this, though, and thus mostly sticks to what he does bestwhich is shoot 3-pointers. 67% of his shots come from behind the arc in 07-08, and he hit them at a solid 38% rate. He does not get to the free throw line very often, and thus, also rarely turns the ball over.

Defense: Posey has great size for a small forward at 6-8, a chiseled 230 pound frame, and very long armsgiving him great tools to play defense on the perimeter. He plays with great intensity on this end, going hard after every loose ball. He is very disciplined and clearly does his homework studying his match up, doing a great job using his length to contest shots. He also maintains his composure and doesnt gamble for steals at all. With that said, Poseys lateral quickness is not outstanding, and therefore he does have issues at times chasing quicker players around screens and staying in front of athletic guards he gets matched up with. Its not rare to see an athletic shot-creating wing play blow by him off the dribble if matched up with him one on one. If forced to defend a back to the basket type forward who likes to play around the paint, hes very effective, as hes extremely physical. As a team defender, he is a real asset thanks to his size, smarts, intensity and experience level.

Overview:Young, defensive-oriented point guard with solid distributing skills. Lacks great size or bulk, but has a terrific wingspan to compensate and is an excellent athlete. Exceptionally quick and a very good ball-handler, which makes him a threat to ignite the break and get out in transition. Does a solid job getting his team into their offense and finding the open man, but can get a bit passive at times as a scorer. Very poor shooter, but improving. Quiet point guard who will need to develop his leadership skills as his career moves along. Spent just two seasons at Kentucky and entered the draft as a fairly raw product. Fell to the early 20s portion of the first round and developed into a real steal for Danny Ainge. Has improved substantially since his rookie season and did an excellent job helping his team win the NBA championship in 2008, setting a record for most assists in a single game in the NBA Finals with 16. Still has significant room to grow as a player.

Offense: A fairly limited scorer who looks most comfortable distributing the ball to his teammates. Extremely quick off the dribble and an excellent ball-handler with either hand. Unselfish, no frills type point guard with good court vision. Does a good job getting his teammates the ball with crisp passes, and does not make many mistakes. Heady playmaker who plays with great maturity and calmness and rarely forces the issue. Can create his own shot, but is not a great finisher around the rim, and does not get to the free throw line at a great rate. Lacks size and strength and does not have the best touch. Does not look to shoot that often, and for good reason. Possesses a slow, deliberate jump-shot that is extremely inconsistent outside of 17-feet. Struggles with his pull-up jumper and is often not even guarded out on the perimeter by the opposition. Has a tendency to defer even when put in an excellent position to score, which hurts his team at times. Slowly improving the consistency of his mid-range jumper, and is gradually seeing better results. Needs to improve his perimeter stroke and become more aggressive taking advantage of scoring opportunities to take the next step as a point guard.

Defense: Small, skinny player with great length and lateral quickness. Closes out extremely fast on shooters and does a terrific job contesting shots. Tough-minded, aggressive defender who is very effective on this end of the ball. Does an outstanding job getting in the passing lanes, freakish wingspan allows him to wrap his arm around and poke balls loose even after getting beat. Excellent defensive rebounder for his position as well. Size and lack of bulk makes him susceptible to being posted up, but does a nice job fighting back. A big part of why Boston is such a strong defensive team.

Brian Scalabrine

Overview: A 6-9 tweener, stuck between the 3 and 4 positions in the NBA, who basically makes a living off his ability to knock down shots and make hustle plays. Strictly a role player, its pretty hard to believe that he somehow managed to convince the Celtics to give him a 5-year, 15 million dollar contract considering his limitations. Was a member of the 2008 NBA Championship team.

Offense: Scalabrine plays both the 3 and the 4, almost exclusively facing the basket in an extremely complimentary role. He utilizes his basketball IQ to move off the ball, set effective screens, and knock down open shots when the opportunity arises. In the rare occasion that he puts the ball on the floor, its usually to pull up after one dribble, as hes simply not quick enough to get to the basket before multiple defenders rotate over, and if he does, he doesnt have anywhere near the explosiveness needed to finish in traffic. Therefore, he almost never gets to the free throw line. Scalabrines biggest strength and the only thing remotely keeping him in the NBA is ability to shoot the basketball. He has 3-point range on his shot and is fairly effective when left open. Another strong point is his ability to pass. He is highly unselfish, sees the floor extremely well, and does a really good job at executing his teams offensive sets and finding the open man.

Defense: Scalabrine possesses below average tools to play either forward spot, as hes slow, not particularly long, and looks perpetually out of shape. He doesnt have the lateral quickness to defend perimeter players trying to take him off the dribble, and just isnt big enough to match up with power players in the paint. To his credit, he does put great effort into this part of his game, and will often get the job done based off sheer smarts and hustle, rather than any outstanding natural talent. Hes not the kind of player you want on the floor against starting caliber players, though, as he just doesnt have the tools to compete with the elite athletes we find at the 3 and the 4 in the NBA. As a rebounder, Scalabrine does not make up for his shortcomings in the least bit. In fact, he puts up some of the worst numbers of any player in the NBA at his position, largely again due to his lack of size, length, quickness and leaping ability.

The Golden State Warriors two-time NBA MVP superstar, Stephen Curry, reflects on the importance of form shooting, his father's influence on his shot development and his rise to prominence from Davidson College at the 2013 NBA All-Star Game.